"That Shadow, My Likeness"

THAT shadow, my likeness, that goes to and fro, seeking a livelihood, chattering, chaffering;
How often I find myself standing and looking at it where it flits;
How often I question and doubt whether that is really me;
--But in these, and among my lovers, and caroling my songs,
O I never doubt whether that is really me.



Analysis:


This poem talks about Whitman’s shadow. He thinks about his shadow, that follows him everywhere, seeks a life, and would like to talk (l.1). Whitman often finds himself standing and looking at his own shadow (l.2), and he often questions himself whether that shadow is really him (l.4). However, Whitman states that in these poems, his songs, he never doubts about himself. This is a contrasting idea, showing that he doubts about his shadow but doesn’t doubt about his works. The shadow is personified, a being that wishes to “complete” itself trying to emulate its owner –Walt Whitman. The tone is ironic, but nonetheless offers a morale lesson. We must try and seek who we really are, and when we achieved this. We will have no doubts about us anymore. There is an anaphora in lines 2.3 “how often I”. Personally, I enjoyed this poem, as it encourages us to look beyond a person’s appearance, our appearance, and learn who we really are. Only after that we won’t doubt about us anymore, and become a true and complete human being.

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